Product Review

Kashi Cereals

If you haven't seen or heard of Kashi you've probably been on a different planet. This brand is growing very quickly and the popularity is greatly increasing. It started out only being available in health food stores now it is pretty much in every supermarket there is. And why is it so great you may ask, well it is jammed packed with the magic potion...FIBER! Fiber is such a great way to loose and/or maintain weight because it helps you feel full and digests much easier than the starchy carbs. The cereals also have an impressive protein, calcium, and low fat/low sugar amount as well. And what else, well it's organic. Sounds like DIRT right!

Well now we get to the best part. Every single one of their cereals is super yummy and healthy. My favorite is the GoLean. GoLean Crunch is very tasty too, but has quite a bit more calories. Seriously I don't have anything negative on the tastiness of these cereals. Try all of them and let me know which one you love.

A negative note or two. Well first, some of the cereals are a little high in calories. However, that being said, they do have a huge amount of filling fiber so it is justifiable. I would definitely stick to portion control. Just because it is health food, does not mean you can eat the whole box in one sitting. And lastly, a few years ago Kashi decided to revamp their Original Good Friends cereal. The older original was so much more yummy and had way less calories. Anyways, so that's it. Not much negatively to muster up on these peeps.

LOVE THEM!

Alternative English Muffin

So I was excited to find a new product from Western Bagel Company since I LOVE their alternative bagels. I picked these Alternative English Muffins up by the cheese and butter. So here's the review on the healthy option for an English muffin. I am not a huge English Muffin fan to begin with but I thought they were pretty good. I found them to taste very similar to a standard variety. However, I would say they were slightly dry. I did toast one and put a dab a sugar free jelly and it was very good. I will give them a B+, now that being from a girl who doesn't love English Muffins in the first place. So if you do enjoy a toasted crumbly bread, these are a great option. They certainly hold their own against any competition in my view. This product has about 50 less calories and 4 more grams of fiber than the standard English Muffin. So here is the bestest news of all - the nutritional info:
For an entire muffin
100 calories, 5 grams fat, 5 grams fiber

Product Review

The Snack Factory's Pretzel Crisps
These tasty little niblets are my new favorite snack. They are described as thin crunchy pretzel crackers - and they are exactly that Pretzel Crackers. They are flattened pretzels which also makes them great for spreading. They are kinda challenging to find but they are worth the grocery search. In most grocery stores I have found in the deli section, but they could be anywhere. Just ask about them and see if they are available. These are so yummy dipped in a healthy dip like salsa - if you are a dipper. For 11 crisps they have 110 calories and 0 grams fat. So don't eat the entire 660 calorie bag, but they are a great single serving snack.

Thursday - Product Review

Diet Root Beer...yes, I know it isn't a real "health" product but I really think it can help people stay on track. If you are a diet soda drinker and you use it kinda as your sweet fill then this is for you. In school I often learned the importance of trying to avoid drinking any calories (ie. real soda, lemonade, juice, punch) because they do not provide one ounce of nutritional goodness and one glass adds up immensely. So I drink DIET!
First off, I LOVE LOVE Diet Coke! I will never say it isn't a delicious beverage. But I really don't think all the caffeine is good for me so I try to tone it down. As a replacement I sip a nice chilled Diet Barq's or A&W Rootbeer. They are both so amazingly tasty. They both have a different taste and I couldn't even tell you which one I prefer. All I know is they are the "bomb diggity" - yeah, I know no one says that anymore, but that is just how excited I am about this stuff. A&W comes in a 12 pack of cans, a 2 liter, and just recently started providing 20 ounces for those gas station runs. Barq's offers 12 packs of cans and 2 liters; we'd like to see some 20 ounces from you too Barq's. Try some today!

Healthy Product Review

In a crowded market of "healthy" food Curves has joined in to now offer a line of food products available in most grocery stores. Today I am reviewing their new line of granola bars, but I should add that I tried the cereal and it wasn't too bad.

Curves partnered with General Mills to create these 100 calorie granola bars with 5 filling and appetite suppressing grams of fiber. I tried both the Strawberry & Cream and the Chocolate and Peanut Butter bars. You know, I did like them. I really can't say I was jumping up and down after eating them, but they were good. And if you are a granola bar enthusiasts they are a very healthy option. A popular granola bar, Quaker Chewys, are 90-100 calories with 1 gram of fiber. One negative thing I will say is that I did find that the chocolate in one of the bars was a bit chalky, but what can you expect.

So to conclude, the bars were good. A much healthier option than a candy bar, potato chips, or soda. But for me Curves didn't bring or add anything much more valuable to nutritional market available.

Thursday - Healthy Product Review

Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning
Okay, so I have loved this product for years. It is my very favorite way to jazz up, spice up, kick up, or flavor up pretty much any food. The spices in this Cajun blend are extraordinary. I put it on chicken breasts, pork, steak, soups, and any cooked veggies. Just use like salt for calorie free yummy-ness. You can get this stuff pretty much everywhere near all the spices..sells for $1.68 at Walmart and it lasts forever. Try it and tell me your opinions!


Now when I sprinkle this on cooked veggies I first spray with the next product of the day...drumroll please!!!
Parkay Spray Butter
For another guilt-free way to top anything I love this stuff. It has a great buttery taste with zero calories, zero fat. Now that is for 5 super quick sprays - which is qualified as a serving. So I wouldn't go dousing your hot potato with this stuff. I Can't Believe It's Not Butter also has a spray butter; they are pretty much identical from my observation. However, I usually go for the underdog in the grocery field and it is 26 cents cheaper at Wal-mart. Either way, you can do wonders for your food!!

Thursday - Product Review

Progresso Light Soups

This Betty Crocker Company just came out with a new product line of light soups. The soup comes in five yummy flavor packed varieties: Italian-Style Vegetable, Vegetable & Noodle,Home-Style Vegetable & Rice, Savory Vegetable Barley, and Southwestern-Style Vegetable. They are all very good, I personally think they are better than Progresso's original line because they aren't as salty. And here's the awesome news - each serving is only 60 calories with 4 grams of fiber or an entire can is 120 calories with a whopping 8 grams of fiber. That is 50% fewer calories than a regular ready to serve soup. Other pluses include an easy to pop can, non-mushy veggies, and super flavorful broth. One minus I would say is relatively high sodium: 860mgs per serving - Whoa! , so limit your sodium intake on the days you take this for lunch.

And what better to go with soup of course...

All Bran Crackers
Available in two flavors, Multi Grain and Garlic & Herb, these crackers are a great healthy option. For 18 crackers it is 130 calories, 5 grams fiber, 6 grams fat. It may sound a lot for crackers to some but let's compare to the very popular Ritz. For 5 crackers you rack up 80 calories, 4 grams of fat, and 0 grams of fiber. So nutritionally, this round of reviews goes to All Bran. Taste alone, you can definitely tell All Bran Crackers are a low fat, healthy baked cracker. They are not buttery soft Ritz, BUT they are still really good. I liked the Multi Grain a tad more; the Garlic & Herb is a bit too strong for me, but others may enjoy it. And they are super yummy with fresh salsa or crushed over your soup.

Thursday - Product Review

Product: Western Alternative Bagel

Western Bagel Company in California has created bagels that will knock your socks off. Honestly, I expected the bagels to be dry or cardboard-ish, but these are awesome. And even better news is the nutritional information on these babies:
1 bagel = 110 calories, 8 grams fiber, fat free, and sugar free
compared to a standard bagel:
1 bagel = 290 calories, 2 grams fiber, 2 grams fat
What?!?
You can get these bagels at any Wal-Mart stores or check out their website here for a store near you. They are usually found in the refrigerator section by the cheese and butter.

Pizza Recipe with this product...that me and my family Love!

Bagels, Roasted Onion or Sweet Wheat
Spaghetti Sauce
grated low fat mozzarella cheese
toppings: pepperoni, veggies, or whatever you like.

Separate bagels into halves and put on a baking sheet. Spread desired amount of spaghetti sauce on top bagels. Sprinkle with grated cheese and add whatever toppings you would like. Bake at 350 for 5 minutes and broil for 1 minute until all the cheese is melted. So simple and yummy!

Healthy Product Review

Deliciously simple. With 14 grams of fiber and 60 calories in 1/2 cup you cannot beat this original stuff. I am an avid believer that if you include this in your diet you can lose and maintain your weight easier. I also love their new line of bars and yogurt and hear buzz that they are coming out with a bread line..Woohoo!! So that is my positive report from Fiber One.

Negative: Their newest cereal - Caramel Delight - Yikes!!!
This is definitely not to my liking. It has a strange sweet and old cardboard taste. The box makes the product appear similar to Golden Grahams but oh how the taste is lacking. And it is kinda high in calories for not being tasty. 180 calories for 1 cup, so not worth it to me. I will stick with Original!
Sorry Fiber One, Work it Mama loves you, but not C.D.!